Treason or Resistance?

[BeBMan]

I think we need more Nazi/Hitler-Threads

So here is mine - do you see the attempt to assasinate Hitler as treason or as an act of resistance? Of course for Nazis it was treason, for Stauffenberg, who placed the bomb in Hitler´s HQ in July 1944 it was not.

Or do you make a difference between what this action done by a German colonel was "technically" (one could say treason, because Hitler was the leader of the state/government and also the military leader) and what it means morally (a try to end the rule of terror done by Hitler´s regime) for you?

And when is it justified to resist, even with violence? Are assasinations of political leaders legitimate forms of resistance in totalitarian states?

[Az]

the ethical value of any action should be a result of an ethical cost/benefit analysis of the result of such action. Assassinating Hitler would probably severly hamper the Nazi war machine, which is good, and therefore such an action would be ethical.

[Gangerolf]

So here is mine - do you see the attempt to assasinate Hitler as treason or as an act of resistance? Of course for Nazis it was treason, for Stauffenberg, who placed the bomb in Hitler´s HQ in July 1944 it was not.

I think you answered your own question there. Judgements depend on the point of view.

[BeBMan]

Sure, but I may be interested in hearing several POVs

[Gangerolf]

Assassinating Hitler would probably severly hamper the Nazi war machine, which is good, and therefore such an action would be ethical.

some would say that getting rid of Htiler would actually be good for the nazi war machine, seeing as he was a lunatic and a terrible strategist.

I don't know if they would (or could) end the war even if Hitler was gone

[Az]

True that, but since he was the driving force behind the war, this is less significant.

[Spiffor]

Resistance.
It is good to oppose your leaders when you disagree with them even in times of war. And except for very minor topics (like a specific tactics), assassination was the only way to have Hitler stopped.

Since I happen to disagree with Hitler, I say this guy was a hero

[Az]

A hero is a person that commits an ethical act while risking himself, to a large degree.

[Ted Striker]

Well it was treason because Hitler lived.

Had he died it would have been an act of resistance.

[BeBMan]

Originally posted by Spiffor
Since I happen to disagree with Hitler, I say this guy was a hero

I´d say the same, but if one asks for a clear reasoning I´m not sure what to answer. Azazel´s post about a "ethical cost/benefit analysis" seems clear at first, but then you could justify probably some nasty things in that way too. Depends on what´s seen as "ethical".

[DinoDoc]

Treason or Resistance?

What's the difference?

[David Floyd]

Well, killing Hitler would have been fine, as long as a moral means was found. Planting a bomb in a meeting that Hitler happened to be attending was not moral, because of the risk of killing other people who may have done nothing wrong.

[orange]

Well, killing Hitler would have been fine, as long as a moral means was found.

Isn't "a moral means to kill someone" a bit of an oxymoron?

[BeBMan]

Hm not always - eg. in self defense

[DanS]

It was justified treason.